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USA: Corps to Temporarily Close GIWW

April 16, 2012

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, will temporarily close the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway at the West Gate of the Brazos River Floodgates beginning April 17, 2012, to conduct repair work and ensure the structural integrity of the west floodgate and guide walls along the navigation channel.

The floodgates are scheduled to remain closed 12 hours per day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday until the estimated completion date of May 25, 2012.

“Public safety is a top priority as we work to complete this project in coordination with our partners, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association,” said USACE Galveston District Area Engineer Ralph Steiner, Northern Area Office. “We apologize for any delays this work may cause and ask mariners to adhere to the closure and not attempt to get around or past the operating barge in order to minimize safety risks at the project site.”

According to Steiner, the original contract awarded in December 2010 to K&K Industries Inc., (a HUB Zone small business) for $5,648,573.58 included rehabilitation work to the Brazos River Floodgates and guide walls. However, during the repair work, an extensive scour hole was identified on the west side of the GIWW that needed to be repaired. Subsequently, a modification to the original contract was awarded.

Located seven miles southwest of Freeport, Texas, the floodgates have been instrumental in controlling sand and silt deposition at the intersection of the Brazos River and GIWW since their completion in 1943, in addition to providing navigation aid in crossing the river.